There is no question Land Rover’s Range Rover sits very near, if not at the top of, the luxury sport-utility heap. The boxy styling is unmistakable, it’s powerful, and everyone knows you paid a bundle for it.

But a vehicle has to impress the driver as much as the neighbours, and a closer look is needed before you plunk down the cash. The Range Rover has some minuses along with its pluses, and you need to know if you can live with those.

There’s a lot of choice. You can get regular- or long-wheelbase, along with five engines that include a diesel and plug-in hybrid, and prices ranging from $115,500 to $236,000. I had the regular-wheelbase P525 HSE, which is driven by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 gasoline engine spinning out 518 horsepower and 461 lb-ft of torque.

That model starts at $123,000, but my tester’s option sheet was heavily marked up, and the final figure came to $139,870 before freight and taxes.

All that power goes through an eight-speed automatic to all four wheels. Land Rover made its name with off-road ability, and while I’ve never seen a new one actually get dirty, it has the chops to back up whatever you tell your friends it can actually do.

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

My tester was optioned with an active rear locking differential, all-terrain progress control – basically low-speed cruise control, so all you have to do is steer over the tough stuff – and an advanced version of Terrain Control, a series of drive modes to go through sand, mud, snow or over rocks. If you’re not sure what you’re going to encounter, there’s also an automatic setting that figures out what’s best for the conditions.

As with anything that could crawl across moon craters, there’s a bit of compromise on the pavement — the ride is comfortable, but can be a bit wallow-y. I like the steering weight, although some might find it on the heavy side, especially on the highway. And the turning circle is remarkably tight for something this big, which makes it easier to park than you might expect.

The adaptive air suspension automatically adjusts as needed, including for ride heights in the various off-road modes. It can also be manually raised or lowered, including bringing it down by 50 millimetres from its normal setting for easier entry and exit.

You can also lower the suspension using a button in the cargo compartment, which in theory makes it easier to load in your luggage. I say “in theory” because the tailgate design knocks that to shreds. It’s a clamshell, and after the rear window lifts, the bottom half drops down. So now you’re reaching not just over the bumper but over the liftgate as well, and if you’re vertically-challenged as I am, anything that slid toward the front is now out of reach.

The Range Rover is an incredibly comfortable machine, both for front- and rear-seat passengers, especially since the company resisted the urge to stuff in a third row of seats. My tester was optioned with a $2,090 pair of front seats with heat, ventilation and massage, and with 22-way adjustment. While that’s a lot of money, you get a lot of chair for that, and my back felt great on a long drive.

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

2020 Land Rover Range Rover P525 HSE

Jil McIntosh

But to get those seats climatized and massaging, you have to go through the centre stack, and that’s where this Range Rover and I seriously part ways. It seems that automakers have this weird idea that for a vehicle to be “premium,” it has to be awkward and take as many steps as possible for something as simple as adjusting the temperature.

So you get two large screens that control almost everything, and for which you must look down to make sure you’re tapping the right icon to get what you want (providing you can see it; when the sun hits that glossy glass, everything on it disappears). Many functions require a minimum of two taps, such as those heated seats. You adjust the cabin temperature and fan speed using dials, but to work your seat, you have to tap a dial, which changes the display inside it – and which also changes the dial’s function – to become the seat control. It’s a pretty neat piece of technology, but when I’m supposed to be paying attention to traffic around me, I prefer simple function over impressive form.

Nothing’s really quick, either. The navigation voice control finds addresses just fine, but has to think a long time before it comes up with them. And on one bitterly cold morning, I had to wait six seconds for the screens to come up. That’s an eternity when you’re waiting to turn on your heat and defrosters.

It’s likely this isn’t going to dissuade those who have their hearts set on this status symbol of British sport-ute luxury, but give it a solid checkout before you make your decision. You get superb performance and delicious comfort, but you also get one of the most annoying control systems in the industry. Make sure you can live with it before you sign on the dotted line.